zaymon wrote:What you guys think is our front office blueprint for this team ? All our past and future acquisitions must have a purpose, bigger or smaller. I think they want to build a team with no obvious weaknesses on defense. It would be a true playoff team. Most similar current squad would be Houston Rockets. They are the easiest to replicate and improve imo. I think Fultz taking a role of Harden is Weltman dream (or one of). Houston is kind of a team composed of castoffs, they are not cheerished and developed draft picks but mix of trades and free agency signings. If Fultz, Isaac, Gordon, Bamba can shoot threes and be smart on defense they have a chance to be Rockets on growth hormone. I think thats our A plan. Regarding free agency Ross fits quite nicely into that blueprint, and Vucevic not so much, but sometimes temporary options prove to be better than initial plans. Paying him 20-24 M for 3 years doesnt change much our flexibility(unless somebody thinks Bamba will be better than Vuc in 3 years, or that there will be better options on the market), 4th year is more important, but if deal is well constructed it could also benefit us by making him good trade asset.
Length at every position is pretty clear. That's the way Weltman/Hammond built (or played key role) in constructing Toronto and Milwaukee rosters.
Really the C position is up for debate until the primary ball handler issue is settled.
If it's Fultz and he can't shoot, then that means the 5 has to have gravity out to the 3pt line and have good PnR/PnPop game. As of right now that's Vucevic. Something similar to how important Lopez' spacing is for Giannis and Bledsoe.
Last year teams didn't defend Bamba outside of 10'. Of Bamba's 64 3PA's only one was defended. So for that pairing of "non-shooting" Fultz + Bamba to work, Bamba would have to rapidly develop into good PnR/Pop player and consistent 3P threat. Its possible, but he was pretty awful at it last year. That was primarily because of poor PnR IQ and instincts + lack of strength and will to dive into contact.
Birch never shoots outside the paint, he doesn't create lane spacing but he did bend defenses as a rim runner (or at least he did vs 2nd units) - hard to tell how he would do vs more size/skill of starting units.
The spacing for a unit of Fultz/Fournier/Gordon/Isaac/Bamba (as of right now) would be atrocious. Teams could sag off of everyone except maybe Fournier (if he returns to his career shooting form).
Ross would work, but he's already said in interview that he's watching what happens with Vucevic, so its very unlikely he returns if Vucevic isn't resigned.